CTBC Bank USA for first-gen and Taiwanese American households

Overview

CTBC Bank Corp. (USA) is a California state-chartered, FDIC-insured commercial bank (certificate 19416) headquartered at 801 South Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Call-report lineage traces to April 27, 1965 (originally Pan American National Bank of Los Angeles); the franchise later operated under China Trust / Chinatrust names before rebranding to CTBC in 2013 alongside its Taipei parent. It is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., part of CTBC Financial Holding in Taiwan — Taiwan’s largest private bank by assets, with a wide Asia network. As of March 31, 2026 the U.S. bank reported about $5.37 billion in assets and about $4.55 billion in deposits across roughly 20 offices. President and CEO Noor Menai has led the U.S. bank since November 2012. Brand angle: Taiwan-name recognition plus bilingual retail and commercial banking in Chinese American metros, with Global Transfers into CTBC affiliates — not Cathay or East West balance-sheet scale, and not the separate CTBC Bank Corp. (Canada) or the parent’s New York branch.

Strengths

• Taiwan-parent brand familiarity for households that already bank with CTBC in Taipei
• CTBC Global Transfers with USA wire-fee waivers into the group’s Asia and Canada network
• SBA Preferred Lender Program for 7(a), 504, and Express pathways
• Twenty-branch East–West footprint heavy in San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, and Flushing / Brooklyn

Footprint

Headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles. About 20 branches in California (San Gabriel Valley cities such as Monterey Park, San Marino, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Rowland Heights, City of Industry, Hacienda Heights, Temple City, Walnut, Diamond Bar; Torrance; Irvine; San Francisco Chinatown; Cupertino; Milpitas), New York (Flushing, Brooklyn), and New Jersey (Edison). Debit cards access Allpoint surcharge-free ATMs (bank cites 55,000+). Online deposit accounts are limited to residents of California, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Nevada, Washington, and Arizona. Not a nationwide megabank. Confirm live hours on ctbcbankusa.com.

Services

• Consumer banking
• Small business
• Commercial / middle market
• SBA lending
• Mortgages
• Trade finance
• International wires
• Credit cards
• Wealth / private banking

Personal and business deposits (including online checking, savings, money markets, and CDs), residential mortgages and HELOCs, consumer credit cards, commercial and CRE lending, SBA loans, import/export letters of credit and FX, and domestic/international wires (USA SWIFT CTHCUS66). Site navigation is available in English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Do not confuse CTBC Bank Corp. (USA) with CTBC Bank Corp. (Canada) or with CTBC Bank’s separate New York Branch (different SWIFT).

Best for

• China / Greater China corridor
• Immigrant-owned small business
• Cross-border and trade complexity
• Hands-on branch banking
• Language access and cultural fit

Best fit when Taiwan-parent recognition and a bilingual desk in a CTBC USA metro matter — especially if relatives already hold CTBC accounts in Taiwan and you want Global Transfers rather than a random correspondent wire. Strong for Taiwanese American and Chinese American owners in the San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, Bay Area, Flushing, Brooklyn, or Edison whose books look like import/export, wholesale, manufacturing, or CRE. Compared with Cathay (~$25B) and East West (~$80B+), CTBC USA is the mid-size Taiwan-subsidiary option (~$5.4B, three-state branch map). Compared with Preferred Bank (~$7.7B independent Chinese American commercial bank), CTBC’s edge is the Taipei parent network and Global Transfer fee structure, not a larger U.S. independent balance sheet. Still compare net TWD or CNY received against a remittance app you already trust.

Less ideal for: Households outside CTBC’s three-state branch map (and seven-state online residency list) who need coast-to-coast Chinese American density, people who only want a national digital megabank app with no Taiwan commercial relationship, or anyone confusing this U.S. bank with CTBC Canada or the parent’s New York Branch for wiring instructions.

Compelling offers

Checked against bank pages as of July 28, 2026. Bonuses, fee waivers, and rate specials change often. Confirm eligibility and end dates on the bank’s site before you plan around them.

• Online Personal Checking: no account maintenance fee

  CTBC’s Online Personal Checking lists a $100 minimum opening balance and no account maintenance fee, with online/mobile banking for everyday use. The account can earn a small APY that steps up above $15,000 (rate table as of the bank’s live deposit-rates page).

  Other fees may still apply per the Schedule of Fees. Online opening is limited to residents of CA, NJ, NY, TX, NV, WA, and AZ. Confirm disclosures before funding.

  CTBC Online Personal Checking →

• Online Personal Savings: up to 3.30% APY

  Online Personal Savings lists 1.80% APY on balances under $50,000 and 3.30% APY on balances of $50,000 or more, with a $250 minimum opening deposit. Must be opened online to receive the published APY.

  Rates are variable and change. Fees can reduce earnings. Same seven-state online residency limit applies. Confirm the live Rates page before transferring a large balance.

  CTBC personal deposit rates →

• Online Personal CD: 6-month 3.30% APY

  Online Personal CDs list a 6-month term at 3.30% APY with a $5,000 minimum opening deposit (APY accurate as of July 28, 2026 on CTBC’s online CD marketing). Other online terms (9- and 12-month promo) appear on the same rates table at lower APYs.

  Early-withdrawal penalties apply. APY is based on the funding date. Branch products may differ. Online residency limits apply. Confirm before locking funds.

  CTBC Online Personal CD →

• CTBC Global Transfers: USA wire fees waived into the CTBC network

  From personal online banking, customers can wire to CTBC Global Network banks (including CTBC Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Canada, LH Bank Thailand, Tokyo Star Bank, and the parent’s New York Branch) with CTBC Bank (USA) incoming/outgoing wire fees listed at $0. Transfers can be future-dated; same-day cutoff is 2:00 p.m. PST.

  Fee waiver covers only CTBC Bank (USA) wire fees when the wire is initiated online to a network bank — not branch-initiated wires, and not intermediary or receiving-bank fees. Rolling 30-day limit $100,000. FX still drives the all-in cost for family support.

  CTBC Global Transfers →

• SBA Preferred Lender (7(a), 504, Express)

  CTBC Bank markets itself as an SBA-designated Preferred Lender with credit decision-making authority under PLP. Product pages describe 7(a) and 504 loans (up to about $5–$5.5 million depending on program) and SBA Express up to $350,000 for working capital, acquisition, equipment, and owner-occupied real estate.

  Preferred-lender status does not guarantee approval. Size standards, occupancy, equity, and credit still control. Ask a commercial banker which program fits your file.

  CTBC SBA Loans →

Next steps

• Send Money to Taiwan From the U.S.

  How U.S. households send TWD for parents, schooling, and dual-city family money: licensed paths, bank-rail delivery, and planning when tech years raise expectations.

• Plan Japan and Taiwan Remittances in Your U.S. Household Budget

  Cap JPY and TWD support as separate lines, average Obon and Lunar New Year spikes, and protect U.S. retirement when high-income East Asia parents still need you.

• Immigrant-Owned Small Business Financing Basics

  Ownership maps, SBA and bank eligibility, personal guarantees, and backup capital for diaspora restaurants, agencies, clinics, and digital businesses when federal rules and family co-signing overlap.

• Send Money to China From the U.S.

  How the U.S.–China remittance corridor works, formal delivery paths, licensed provider types, and planning questions before you send to mainland family.

• Family Support Budget Calculator

  Map parent support, remittances, and sibling help against housing, debt, emergency savings, and retirement so family obligations stay visible in your monthly plan.

• Remittance Quote Worksheet

  Copy two provider disclosures side by side to compare total paid, amount delivered, effective exchange rate, funding method, and delivery time.

• Household dashboard

  Track family support beside U.S. bills and savings once the account is open.

• All planners

  Send corridors and inheritance scenarios when banking is only one piece of the file.

Related bank profiles

• Cathay Bank — The oldest operating U.S. bank founded by Chinese Americans. Chinatown roots, multistate branches, and Pacific Rim offices for Greater China households and businesses.
• East West Bank — The largest Asian American–owned bank by scale, built as a U.S.–Asia bridge for Chinese American communities and cross-border commercial clients.
• Preferred Bank — A Downtown LA commercial bank founded for Chinese American clients in 1991. Now a ~$7.7B middle-market lender that still leans on East Asia migration and trade desks in California, New York, and Houston.
• Bank of the Orient — A Bay Area Chinese American community bank with a rare full-service branch in Xiamen, China. Smaller than Cathay or East West, rooted in SF Chinatown and Peninsula neighborhoods.

Related send corridors

• Send money to Taiwan from the U.S.
• Send money to China from the U.S.